Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-05-07

return to Mr. Murr1uge; nor woulo nus
business get itself accomplished; nor would
his clients establish their royal, noble, and
gentle descent So that the impeachment Of
Dicks flight produced consequences of a very
wide and unexpected kind. You stick a lit
tie pin into q piece Of machinery; there IL
the least possible jar. which spreads through
all the wheels and pistons, and Is felt even to
the foundations on which the machinery is
built. For a whole fortnight they lived in
this suspense, Norah remaining with her
sister at the hospital
1t was reserved for Uncle Joseph to be the
humble instrument by which this impede
ment was to be removed. And it happened
in this way:
1t was his custom, in these long summer
evenings, to revisit. by the help of the omni-
bus, some Of the scenes of his former great
ness, and especially a certain ~well-known
tavern in Great Queen street. Here he knew
the manager and some Of the head waters
in fact, he knew by sight every waiter in
London, and had a nodding acquaintance
with hundreds of the gentry who every
morning, about ten o'clock, assemble on the
curbstone outside the great restaurants,
waiting to be taken on for the evening.
Under their arms most Of them carry the uni.
form of their profession. They are an inoffen.
sive folk, as may be gathered by any one who
will loiter for a minute and listen to their
talk; they give no trouble; they never want
anybody's property; if you were to offer
them three acre allotments they would not
listen; they have never been known to
strike, to combine, to agitate, or to demon
strate; they never march in procession, and
have not, between them all, a single banner
or a bit Of bunting; they are, in the even
ing, always beautifully dressed for their
work; they are civil Of speech, active and
Jealous; they have, one and all, q curiously
cultivated taste in wine; and they are said
to have but one vice. This they share with
many landed gentlemen. 1t is a love for the
turf.
Uncle Joseph, who had formerly been an
honored guest two or three nights in every
week, now sat humbly in the managers
room, reading the menus Of the day. Alasl
They were not for him-those gorgeous col
ored cards, inscribed with the names and
and delightful dishes. 1t was something to
know that the banquets still went on,
though he was no longer seated at the table
near the presiding o%ficor, as richly decor
ated as a German official; and, no doubt.
it was a consolation to accept the hospitable
glass Of sherry, which was sometimes prof.
fered in the managers room.
One evening, about ton days after Dick
vanished away, Uncle Joseph paid a visit to
the tavern. There were several beautiful
banquets going on, and he read the menus
with the soft regrets due to the happy past.
1t was nearly nine when he got up to 60
the hour when the active business Of the
banquet is finished, and after the material.
tho Intellectual feast was to begin with the
speeches. Alas! they would never hear him
speak again.
AS he passed from the managers room
into the hall, a door on the first floor was
thrown open, and there came GU. such a joy.
Gus sound, a mingling Of many sounds In a
fine confusion, such as the cliquetes Of glasses,
the laughter Of mon who have drunk plenty
Of wine, the shutting OF walters feet, the
noise Of plates and the popping of corks, that
Uncle Joseph's knees trembled.
'Ah," he said, ut is u blessing indeed to
feel that the craft is not falling Off"
He went away M presently found an
omnibus.
Every night about this time he was soize6
with a dreadful yearning for champagne.
This evening it was a yearning which tor
tured him. TIL festive sound of the revelry
was too much for the old man, and his heart
felt like lead to think that there wa no
more champagne to be had during the short
remainder Of his history. When he got out
Of his omnibus at Kings Gross, and began
to walk homeward, this yearning held him
and shook him SO that he trembled as he
walked, and people thought that no must 10
suffering from senile weakness. 1t was not
this; 1t was the yearning after champagne
| uyhtph NADIA hfo t,rni,Nk@ ,,,,1 o.,l
swim. Uncle Joseph had never married;
the experience might have taught him that
the passion Of love in some OF its forms, a.
hen its object Is absent, closely resemblet
this craving of his for the divine drinl
which sparkles in the cup and mounts to {
mans brain, filling him with pride and joy
and charity toward all men. Gin md watel
might stay the craving, but as yet he was {
quarter Of All hour from his gin and water
and though there were many public houses
on the way, Uncle Joseph had no money
oven gin and water was almost rs unattain
able as champagne.
While he stopped, however, letting hi
fancy revel in imaginary goblets, beakers
cups and glasses. all full and trimming over
and foaming and sparkling and trembling
he became conscious Of u face, tho sight Of
which was SO little in harmony with hi;
thoughts that the cup was, SO to speak
the gods was spilled upon the ground.
The face, or rather the head, was In q
second floor window OF a house on the other
side of the street; it was looking up and
down the street; a perfectly familiar face,
yet for u while Uncle Joseph could not re.
member Mt oil to whom it belonged, so great
was the yearning within him for cham.
payne. Presently, however, ho regained
some command over himself, and understood
that the face belonged to none other than tc
Dick Murridge. 1t was twilight now, but
the old, that is to say, some Of the old. have
long sight, and the gas below caught the
face. Oh, there could be no doubt that II
was the face Of Dick Murridge, the run.
away.
For by this time it was well known in
vague terms that there was trouble about
some checks, and that Dick had run away,
and that Norah had quarreled with Mr..
Murridge, and was staying with Calista
under the pretext or pretense Of a holiday.
This seemed a very remarkable discovery.
Uncle Joseph was, by nature, curious, in.
quisitive into other peoples affairs and Of a
prying nature. Therefore he at once re-
solved to pursue this adventure further.
The house, he now perceived, was q public
house-something better than the ordinary
run Of street taverns-for it had a side en-
trance, marked Hotel" His wits were
now completely restored, and he was able
to observe carefully the position Of the win
dow at which Dick Murridge was sitting.
AS soon as he was quite certain on this point
he boldly entered by the side door and
walked up stairs.
Ten days of hiding in his upper chamber
had begun to tell upon Dick Murridge. SO
great was the terror instilled into him by
his instructor and protector, Of his fathers